Another cold morning, and I hope this means that the skating ice will be restored by the weekend. We've only gotten a chance to go out once so far, and I'm anxious to keep relearning. Snowshoeing, my Harmony staple, is not so fun in a city . . . not mention that I'd need snow in order to do it and Portland doesn't have any. So we're dependent on the pleasures of frigid walks and frozen ponds.

Today maybe I'll go for one of those frigid walks, after I put in my editing time. My new three-mornings-a-week exercise schedule has been noticeably helpful, both conditioning- and mood-wise. Endorphins are no myth, and I always come away from my abs and yoga classes feeling brighter and more focused. These past four years--and especially these past nine months--have been so brutal: every little increment of success feels enormous; and as a non-athlete and an abhorrer of gyms, I'm proud to be sticking with my plan.

For the moment, though, I'm equally pleased to be sitting quietly on the couch and enjoying a slightly slower morning. I've got some emails to write and some house stuff to do, and then I'll read some Millay poems before beginning my editing day. I've been looking forward to Millay, after that slog through Byron. 

Slowly, slowly, the days are getting longer and spring is drawing nearer.